|
|
Post by jonbig on Jan 15, 2012 0:30:32 GMT -5
I want to love this game, but I can't seem to get past the initial weak phase of difficult or higher. I take non-combat contracts to gain cash & experience, but somewhere along the way, I always end up ambushed by a pirate or bounty hunter and left with a damaged ship, far from home with no cash to buy fuel to fulfil a contract.
Trying to blockade an independent just doesn't bring in enough cash to pay for fuel. So I end up dead by mutiny.
How do I better avoid/recover from this?
|
|
|
|
Post by grävling on Jan 15, 2012 0:45:02 GMT -5
I want to love this game, but I can't seem to get past the initial weak phase of difficult or higher. I take non-combat contracts to gain cash & experience, but somewhere along the way, I always end up ambushed by a pirate or bounty hunter and left with a damaged ship, far from home with no cash to buy fuel to fulfil a contract. Trying to blockade an independent just doesn't bring in enough cash to pay for fuel. So I end up dead by mutiny. How do I better avoid/recover from this? Here is somebody who has explained my problem *perfectly*, though I am getting this at level 'normal'. What am I doing wrong? Being that far away from home in the first place? Or what? |
|
HarryKILLSworth
Hero
If I told you i was lyin', would you believe me?
Posts: 163
|
Post by HarryKILLSworth on Jan 15, 2012 4:04:41 GMT -5
Stick close to home at first to build stats and cash reserves. Build up explore stats and find a good planet to harvest cash items such as artifacts and weapons. Holds a trader permit with which to sella these items, preferable with two factions to be safe. Dont take contracts further from 12 from your home world or where you. get majority of contracts from. Once contracts is completed return home to avoid wondering and continue harvesting as able. Rank up immediately to be to buy bigger and better ships to blows those nasty pirates to space dust. Always and diligently be looking for surplus and shortage rumors. Do this almost religiously. Try to be friendly with at least 2s-3xy factions so as given more places 2o dock and sell goods in case you. find yourself far from
home. Try to retreat as oftens as you. can. There. is
no shame in staying alive.
|
|
|
|
Post by grävling on Jan 15, 2012 4:16:52 GMT -5
Stick close to home at first to build stats and cash reserves. Build up explore stats and find a good planet to harvest cash items such as artifacts and weapons. Holds a trader permit with which to sella these items, preferable with two factions to be safe. Dont take contracts further from 12 from your home world or where you. get majority of contracts from. Once contracts is completed return home to avoid wondering and continue harvesting as able. Rank up immediately to be to buy bigger and better ships to blows those nasty pirates to space dust. Always and diligently be looking for surplus and shortage rumors. Do this almost religiously. Try to be friendly with at least 2s-3xy factions so as given more places 2o dock and sell goods in case you. find yourself far from home. Try to retreat as oftens as you. can. There. is no shame in staying alive. At the rate of exposing myself as as idiotic as I am -- I understood all of that except 'rank up immediately'. Ie spend cash for a better uniform? ok, I can do this, but why? What does this improve for me?? My idea 1) was to sell high and buy low My idea 2) was to sell secrets My idea 3) is to go explore space. Are my ideas too simplistic, or what?? |
|
blackgauntlet
Templar
[ Star Traders 2 & Heroes of Steel Supporter ]
Jack in... Jack off!
Posts: 1,841
|
Post by blackgauntlet on Jan 15, 2012 5:07:39 GMT -5
Ideas 1 & 2 are good ideas, grav.
3 however, is only for the trained and tested captains. Would you dare to go backpacking in Cambodia alone? Same good reason. Only Lara Croft should do that.
Now, having ranks allow you to get Rank Ships in Star Ports. Those are only available to Military Ranked officers. These ships are badass and off-market.
|
|
|
|
Post by grävling on Jan 15, 2012 5:54:52 GMT -5
Ideas 1 & 2 are good ideas, grav. 3 however, is only for the trained and tested captains. Would you dare to go backpacking in Cambodia alone? Same good reason. Only Lara Croft should do that. Now, having ranks allow you to get Rank Ships in Star Ports. Those are only available to Military Ranked officers. These ships are badass and off-market. Hmm. I actualy did this with my father, in the 1980s alone. We were ostensibly providing free medical services to the people of Laos. -- and what we were really doing was rescuing the victims of Pol Pot. MY Father had been operating (in that region) since 1978. By 1980 it was tamer, his 18 year old daughter (me), who happened to speak vietnamese was welcome. My real life first name is *Lara* (or Laura ) -- so damn straight I have to behave like that! So, yah, would i go backpacking in cambodia alone -- yes, dear gods, already done that. |
|
|
|
Post by grävling on Jan 15, 2012 6:20:47 GMT -5
Build up explore stats and find a good planet to harvest cash items such as artifacts and weapons Not sure what counts as 'good' ... vs 'adequate' vs 'do not bother with' learning here, Grävling |
|
shallowthought
Exemplar
[ Patreon & Star Traders 2 Supporter ]
Posts: 382
|
Post by shallowthought on Jan 15, 2012 11:53:23 GMT -5
Re taking contracts - go through the entire list in the palace+spice hall and you should be able to get 2-4 in the same general direction. Therefore, 2-4 x the money for basically the same work.
|
|
|
|
Post by slayernz on Jan 15, 2012 18:03:43 GMT -5
Quick comments
1) ... Ranking up ... to get the benefits of military bases (but not necessarily fantastic pricing), you only need rank 1. Get to first rank, then use your money elsewhere. You can always bribe contribute to the palace coffers for ranks later on.
2) If you are out of cash, ship is all banged up, and you're running low on fuel, I've heard that if you can get to a wilderness area, you can do repairs at the cost of time. It'll not help with the money thing, but at least you won't be flying around one shot away from meeting your mater (tow-mater, that's me).
Apart from that, it depends on what type of captain class you have taken a shine to. If you are playing explorer, stick to the safer planets (javat mining, for example), and find a chunk of money there.
Play the diplomat to begin with ... it's not impossible to befriend all nations ... just watch the faction conflicts. You can then make it through the first phases of the game with minimal encounters until you upskill your pilot / stealth then tactics. Playing on Normal difficulty, even being friends with 3 factions (eg De Valtos, Rychart and Javat) should give you enough safe ports through the quadrant that will allow you to explore the galaxy in confidence.
Oh oh ... get rank 1 in Javat and you'll get access to the Javat Cutter, an amazingly good ship for something that is given just cos you are ranked.
If you have time, look for the numerous guides scattered through the forum ... they will help you out heaps.
|
|
HarryKILLSworth
Hero
If I told you i was lyin', would you believe me?
Posts: 163
|
Post by HarryKILLSworth on Jan 15, 2012 19:31:22 GMT -5
Build up explore stats and find a good planet to harvest cash items such as artifacts and weapons Not sure what counts as 'good' ... vs 'adequate' vs 'do not bother with' learning here, Grävling Upon arriving at a planet that has a wilds area that can be explored click on the [WILDS] icon to bring up a general description of the area. This deacription is compiled a survey done by the ships scanners and general knowledge of the area. For instance there. are 3 scans done by the ships scanners 1) [HUNT AND GATHER]- this is for gathering water and fuel. 2) [PLANETARY EXPLORATION]- this is for walking around ancient temples and caves looking for money items such as artifacts and weapons, but also will find all sorts of sellable and usable items here. 3) [CACHES] this is buried trwasure left behind by pirates and explorers alikw intent on returning to reclaim at later date. After each description an overall number is given. This number is the likely hood something will be found. The higher the number the better the outcome could be. 10 is a excellent chance and should yeild good returns. Anything over 10, like 14 is a gold mine and its time to get a full crew and mine that baby for all its worth. Dont attempt to exlore with under 35-40 crew since aliens and rogue crews and volcanoes are every on these places. Read each description carefully. A 1 means the scanners are only detecting a barron, and desolate dessert with nothing but salt and sand for 100's miles in every direction. |
|
blackgauntlet
Templar
[ Star Traders 2 & Heroes of Steel Supporter ]
Jack in... Jack off!
Posts: 1,841
|
Post by blackgauntlet on Jan 16, 2012 10:07:05 GMT -5
Ideas 1 & 2 are good ideas, grav. 3 however, is only for the trained and tested captains. Would you dare to go backpacking in Cambodia alone? Same good reason. Only Lara Croft should do that. Now, having ranks allow you to get Rank Ships in Star Ports. Those are only available to Military Ranked officers. These ships are badass and off-market. Hmm. I actualy did this with my father, in the 1980s alone. We were ostensibly providing free medical services to the people of Laos. -- and what we were really doing was rescuing the victims of Pol Pot. MY Father had been operating (in that region) since 1978. By 1980 it was tamer, his 18 year old daughter (me), who happened to speak vietnamese was welcome. My real life first name is *Lara* (or Laura ) -- so damn straight I have to behave like that! So, yah, would i go backpacking in cambodia alone -- yes, dear gods, already done that. Whoa, more power to you! And a multilinguist to boot! The only Vietnamese I speak are naughty words... and don't ask me how I leant that.  BTW, which part of Cambodia did you went to? I went there 10 years after you did. So, there wasn't much craziness going on. The Angkor Wat became a tourist trap by then. Much of the old-world charm was gone. Er... back to the game, these crazed gamers speak the truth. Me? I struggle on Impossible and squirm like a wounded wombat. ;D |
|
Fenikso
Templar
[ Star Traders 2 & Elite Supporter ]
Nobody expects the Rychart Inquisition!
Posts: 753
|
Post by Fenikso on Jan 16, 2012 10:56:03 GMT -5
Two quick comments from me are Trade Permits and Surrender  . Trade Permit - You should get Trade Permits with all Factions you plan to be friendly as soon as possible. This will drive off the Faction Pirates - they will ignore you. Also having Electronics, Weapons, and Artifacts in you cargo hold will not be illegal anymore with the Faction. Surrender - Learn when it is safe to surrender. If you are not wanted criminal and you are not doing anything illegal at the moment, just surrender to Warships and Bounty Hunters. They will search your ship and let you go. If you get caught by Pirates, or by others doing illegal stuff, they will search your ship, loot you, kick you Captains butt and let you go. The way how the Central Database works make it so nobody can steal you money. Just cargo. When surrendering will make you imprisoned or executed, you should get the warring. |
|
shallowthought
Exemplar
[ Patreon & Star Traders 2 Supporter ]
Posts: 382
|
Post by shallowthought on Jan 16, 2012 11:40:50 GMT -5
Re exploring - wild zones also have a hazard stat - how likely you are to lose crew/get wounded. Don't bother with anything above what your explore skill is, as a general rule. Also remember that when visiting the doctor, it costs more per unit the more wounded you are. Therefore, visit doctor as soon as you get wounded, and if you end up at low health, it will be cheaper to visit several doctors (go to different planets) and heal by 1 at each.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cory Trese on Jan 17, 2012 0:33:39 GMT -5
Two quick comments from me are Trade Permits and Surrender . Trade Permit - You should get Trade Permits with all Factions you plan to be friendly as soon as possible. This will drive off the Faction Pirates - they will ignore you. Also having Electronics, Weapons, and Artifacts in you cargo hold will not be illegal anymore with the Faction. Surrender - Learn when it is safe to surrender. If you are not wanted criminal and you are not doing anything illegal at the moment, just surrender to Warships and Bounty Hunters. They will search your ship and let you go. If you get caught by Pirates, or by others doing illegal stuff, they will search your ship, loot you, kick you Captains butt and let you go. The way how the Central Database works make it so nobody can steal you money. Just cargo. When surrendering will make you imprisoned or executed, you should get the warring. +1 Exalted Great advice. Surrender is vastly overlooked by people who are new at ST RPG. |
|
|
|
Post by Cory Trese on Jan 17, 2012 0:33:58 GMT -5
Re exploring - wild zones also have a hazard stat - how likely you are to lose crew/get wounded. Don't bother with anything above what your explore skill is, as a general rule. Also remember that when visiting the doctor, it costs more per unit the more wounded you are. Therefore, visit doctor as soon as you get wounded, and if you end up at low health, it will be cheaper to visit several doctors (go to different planets) and heal by 1 at each. awesome post |
|
.
